Page 34 of The Lost Princess

Nasi hadn’t mentioned any of that, though I could tell he also found me attractive. Or at least, I’d thought that perhaps he had. He did say I was intelligent, though. Resourceful. Tough, and a hard worker.

I blushed just remembering the proud look in his eyes as I struggled to hold my wings up, pushing through the pain.

Yet he’d left you here, lying in the furs, cold and alone.

Males didn’t make sense. It didn’t matter if they were human or drakens. Grumbling, I turned over and tried to get some rest.

ChapterTwelve

NASI

“We will try flying today.”

Kaida froze, a bit of meat dropping from her claw to the ground. I was proud and happy she had taken to staying in her draken form often. I could pretend everything was fine even as I imagined that she was mine. For a few hours a day, I even fantasized we were a mated couple, living happily together in our cave.

Even if it wasn’t true.

“A-are you sure?” she asked, frowning up at me.

I huffed. “It has been two weeks. You have no problems keeping your wings up now. I haven’t seen you drag on the floor in three days.”

Her cheeks went red as I admitted to closely observing her these past few days.

“Alright,” she relented, wiping the grease from her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she glared at me. “If my wings give out, are you strong enough to catch me?”

I bristled at the implication I could not catch her. “I have been spending nights strengthening myself. I am confident we will be fine.”

Kaida growled, a draken sound that sent a flush through my body. “I know,” she grumbled. “I have been cold these last few nights.”

My brow furrowed. “Have you not been keeping the fire high enough? You may burn as much wood as you like. I will simply fetch more.”

I thought this was most kind of me, but she only glared. Perhaps I was missing something.

“Come!” I turned toward the mouth of the cave, gesturing for her to follow. She did so, but warily.

“Don’t you dare push me,” she warned, eyes narrowing.

I laughed. “You would fall to the ground and die. Why would I do that?”

Kaida reared back, and the air was momentarily filled with the scent of fear. Oh.

“Sorry,” I said, contrite. “I mean, that is too big a step. We will start small. See that large rock over there?”

I pointed toward a large flat boulder about thirty yards from the mouth of my cave, and slightly below us. Kaida nodded.

“I will fly over to it,” I explained. “You will glide from here to there. If you miss or go off course, I will retrieve you.”

Kaida blinked furiously, her hands reflexively clenching and unclenching into fists at her sides. I wish I could understand her fear, but it was unknown to me. All draklings were thrust into the air as soon as they could stand. Fear of falling was something that simply didn’t exist for us.

“I will wait for you there.” I didn’t give Kaida a chance to respond. I simply pushed off from the floor, my muscles bunching as I leaped out into the open air. I knew a glorious moment of flying freely before gravity asserted itself, dragging me down. I opened my wings, flaring them against the morning sun. Catching the cool air, I couldn’t help the lazy grin that stretched my face as I glided to the rock. Just as I approached the surface, I tucked my wings into my back and landed neatly in a crouch, my feet hitting hard on the rocky surface.

It was good to feel strong again.

“Your turn!” I called back to Kaida, who was merely a white speck at the mouth of the cave.

She stood for a moment as if paralyzed by indecision and retreated back into the cave.

Oh no. Had I pushed her too far too fast? I didn’t want—

---